Medieval Borders · Peebles
Horsburgh Castle near Peebles: A Short Film from the Border Hills
A brief look at Horsburgh Castle near Peebles, where a sixteenth-century tower occupies ground associated with an earlier hillfort.
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Watch Mark Nicol’s original film, first published on YouTube on 4 May 2020. Load the film below to play it here.
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Privacy & cookiesA ruined tower can look like the beginning of a place's history. At Horsburgh near Peebles, Mark's short scenic film reminds us to look further back. The sixteenth-century castle stands on a site associated with an earlier Iron Age hillfort.
That layering is typical of the Borders. A prominent position that suited one community could attract another many centuries later. The people, buildings and reasons for occupying the ground changed, while the shape of the hill remained.
Two histories on one hill
The visible masonry belongs to the later castle. The earlier fort is a different chapter, and it is important not to imagine the surviving tower as an Iron Age building. Mark's camera gives the surrounding landscape space to explain why a defensible height could matter in more than one period.
If the earlier layer catches your interest, continue with hill fort bagging near Peebles and Dreva Craig.
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